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Myrmecologische Nachrichten 6: 23-27

Myrmecologische Nachrichten 6: 23-27; printable

Abstract: The caterpillars of Maculinea butterflies are obligate parasites of nests of Myrmica (or in certain cases Aphaenogaster) ants during most of their development. Manica rubida (Latreille, 1802) is closely related to ants of the genus Myrmica, and can occur on Maculinea sites. Laboratory colonies of M. rubida were therefore tested for their ability to raise caterpillars of Maculinea rebeli (Hirschke, 1904) and M. alcon (Denis & SCHIFFERMÜLLER, 1775). After introduction into the foraging arenas of these colonies, all caterpillars were taken into the nest by worker ants, where they were often carried and licked. Several caterpillars of both butterflies survived and increased in size for a number of weeks, up to one and a half months. These results suggest that M. rubida could potentially act as a host for Maculinea caterpillars, although whether any local populations have evolved to specialise on this potential host remains to be demonstrated in the fields.